Professional and career development workshop series

• Date and time: Wednesday, January 29, 2025; 12-1 p.m. 
• Location: JCSU 301
• Speaker: Maureen McBride, Director, University Writing Center

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Whether you're a job seeker, participating in 3MT, or simply looking to improve your communication skills, mastering the elevator pitch is essential. In this workshop, you'll learn how to craft a concise, persuasive message that captures your unique value proposition and grabs your audience's attention. From identifying your target audience to honing your delivery, we'll cover all the key elements of a successful elevator pitch. Don't miss out on this opportunity to stand out from the crowd and make a lasting impression on anyone you meet.

• Date and time: Monday, February 3, 2025; 12-1 p.m. 
• Location: JCSU, 356
• Speaker: Elena Azadbakht, Associate Professor, Health Sciences Librarian

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Zotero is a free citation manager that makes collecting, organizing, sharing, and citing your sources a breeze! Join this workshop to learn more about citation management and how it helps you write your papers.

• Date and time: Wednesday, February 5, 2025; 12-1 p.m.
• Location: JCSU, 301
• Speaker: Mehmet Tosun, Chief International Officer, Director of the Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship and International Business Programs

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Are you an international student or postdoc and looking for jobs in the U.S.? Mehmet Tosun will briefly discuss the differences between academic and non-academic positions in the job market and then touch upon his experiences in job searching as an international scholar in the U.S. He will also discuss some dos and don'ts, particularly during the interview stage of the job search process.

• Date and time: Tuesday, February 11, 2025; 12-1 p.m.
• Location: JCSU 301
• Speakers: Ali Shinton, Graduate Career Mentor, Nevada Career Studio

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Join us for a workshop that will help you transform your CV into a document you truly adore. Whether you're crafting it for the first time or giving it a long-overdue makeover, we’ll cover strategies to highlight your unique skills, experience, and potential. Let’s create a CV that makes employers swoon and leaves you feeling confident. Don’t miss this chance to fall head over heels for your future success!

• Date and time: Thursday, February 13, 2025; 12:30-1:30 p.m. 
• Location: JCSU, 356
• Speaker: Michael Pauldine, Licensed Psychologist, Assessment Coordinator, Counseling Services

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As a graduate student, juggling academics with personal responsibilities can be overwhelming. Many graduate students must navigate multiple commitments, including careers, families, and hobbies, while pursuing their studies. Our workshop is designed to provide you with effective techniques for multitasking and time management, enabling you to focus on your studies while still nurturing your personal life.

• Date and time: Wednesday, February 19, 2025; 12 -1 p.m.
• Location: JCSU 301 (Graduate Student Lounge)
• Speaker: Carlos Ramirez-Reyes, Assistant Professor, Data Services Coordinator; Theresa McKim, Teaching Assistant Professor, Biology/Institute for Neuroscience 

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In this workshop we use the Compass Message Box, a structured tool designed to help researchers communicate their work clearly and effectively to non-expert audiences. It guides participants in distilling complex scientific information into key messages by focusing on the "so what?" aspect of their research. The framework includes five sections: the core message, the problem, the solution, the benefits, and audience-specific relevance, promoting clarity and focus. By using this tool, researchers can craft compelling, audience-centered narratives that emphasize the importance of their work.

• Date and time: Thursday, February 20, 2025; 12-1 p.m.
• Location: JCSU, 356
• Speaker: Jenny Ouyang, Associate Professor, Biology

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This workshop will provide strategies and insights for negotiating academic job offers. Participants will learn what components of the job offer are negotiable including salary, startup packages, teaching responsibilities, and more. We will also guide attendees through the negotiation process and offer practical tips on how to communicate effectively with hiring committees, make informed decisions, and advocate for their needs.

• Date and time: Monday, February 24, 2025; 12-1 p.m.
• Location: JCSU 301, Graduate Student Lounge
• Speakers: Robert Eugene del Carlo Ph.D. (M.D.) 

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This workshop will explain the best practices for drafting and delivering your speech as well as dialing in the slides for optimum visual communication. Distilling your complex ideas and research into succinct, universally understandable concepts demands hard work, but there are certain formulae to make the job easier. In 60 minutes, I'll cue you in to what to say (no jargon) and how to say it (with emotion and elevated humor), the best use of color, spacing and symmetry on the screen, and how to share just the right amount of data and information so as not to overload your audience (it's less than you think). Lastly, the workshop will conclude with some brief neuroscience-backed tricks for mastering your speech and memorization to just nail the performance. Deliberately incorporating these principles of audiovisual communication can let storytelling do a lot of heavy lifting for you. Humans evolved in the oral tradition, so it makes sense that our brains are primed to receive information in concrete ways that we can leverage to keep your audience engaged. Research communication is a necessary skill for success in competitions, at conferences, as a lecturer, and as a research collaborator. Learn how to tell your story like a professional and enjoy a lifetime of more meaningful connections to your audiences.

• Date/Time: Tuesday, February 25, 2025, 12-1 p.m.
• Location: JCSU 403, Great Room
• Speaker: Conrad Chow, Program Coordinator, Nevada Money Mentors

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Just finished grad school or wrapping up your postdoc? Not sure what financial steps to take next? You're not alone! Transitioning to the next stage of your career comes with new money challenges - but also big opportunities to build wealth, eliminate debt and set yourself up for financial success. This workshop will offer 5 steps to launch your financial success!

• Date and time: Wednesday, March 5, 2025; from 12–1 p.m.
• Location: PSAC 114
• Speakers: Theresa McKim, Teaching Assistant Professor, Biology/Institute for Neuroscience

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In this workshop, attendees will learn about and practice applying the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, & Result) method to effectively answer interview questions. We will provide examples of common interview questions (industry, academia, etc.).

• Date and time: Friday, March 7, 2025; 12-1 p.m.
• Location: PSAC 114
• Speakers: Theresa McKim, Teaching Assistant Professor, Biology/Institute for Neuroscience 

In Part 2 of this workshop series, we'll briefly review the STAR method, and then jump into interview practice! This is a great opportunity to practice your interviewing skills in a safe environment and receive feedback from others.

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• Date and time: Monday, March 10, 2025; 12-1 p.m.
• Location: JCSU 403, Great Room
• Speaker: Elena Azadbakht, Associate Professor, Health Sciences Librarian 

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Learn about different review types and styles and how to best conduct a comprehensive search across various databases and other online resources. We will also discuss strategies for effectively organizing and synthesizing your sources.

• Date and time:  Wednesday, March 12, 2025; 12–1 p.m.
• Location: PSAC 114
• Speakers: Theresa McKim, Teaching Assistant Professor, Biology/Institute for Neuroscience 

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In Part 3, the final part of this workshop series, we'll briefly review the STAR method and jump into interview practice! This is a great opportunity to fine tune your interviewing skills in a safe and inclusive environment while receiving feedback from others. 

• Date and time: Wednesday, April 2, 2025; 12-1 p.m. 
• Location: JCSU 356, Senate Chambers
• Speaker: Will Peshall, Lead, Organizational, and Employee Development

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This workshop will help you to understand what is and is not a conflict, reflect on your natural preferences in dealing with conflict, and learn some strategies for managing a conflict. Will is the Lead, Organizational and Employee Development in Human Resources within the Learning & Development team. He specializes in career coaching and well-being at work. This workshop is ideal for graduate students and postdocs!

• Date/Time: Friday, April 11, 2025, 12-1:15 p.m.
• Location: Hybrid format: In person (MIKC 107) or Virtual via Zoom (register to receive link)
• Speaker: Markus Kemmelmeier, Dean, Graduate School and panelists

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The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in STEM and STEM education. The GRFP provides three years of graduate support ($37,000 stipend per year + $16,000 for institutional support) for individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant research achievements. This workshop will provide an overview of the GRFP application process, as well as a panel discussion by faculty who have served as GRFP panel reviewers and University students who have recently received NSF GRFP awards.

• Date and time: Monday, April 14, 2025; 12-1:30 p.m.
• Location: JCSU 317
• Speakers: Will Peshall, Lead, Organizational and Employee Development, Human Resources

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Join us for a brand new workshop offering to continue learning about and building your leadership skills. The Five Paths to Leadership (self-assessment required to be completed before attending this workshop), will help you and your team explore how one's leadership styles manifest under normal circumstances and how they can change under stress. 

• Date and time: Wednesday, April 16, 2025; 12-1 p.m.
• Location: JCSU 323
• Speaker: Ali Shinton, Graduate Career Mentor, Nevada Career Studio

In this workshop, you’ll learn how to define and communicate your unique professional identity. Using your personal interests and values you will be able to craft a strong elevator pitch, optimize your LinkedIn profile, and build your professional network. Walk away with the skills to confidently present yourself and grow your professional presence. 

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